Monthly Archives: May 2014

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NORWALK >> Authorities Saturday released the name of a 16-year-old Norwalk boy who died following a stabbing earlier in the week.
Micah Maurice Hatten, 16, died at St. Francis Medical Center shortly after 1 a.m. Thursday, according to Los Angeles County coroner and sheriff’s officials. He was fatally wounded about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday in a stabbing near Leffingwell Road and Gard Avenue.
An attacker or attackers arrived in a vehicle before the deadly confrontation, sheriff’s Lt. Jason Skeen said. No suspect description was available, and no suspects were in custody.
The wounded teen clung to life at the hospital, and was revived by doctors multiple times after losing vital signs, before ultimately succumbing to his injuries early the following morning, officials said.
Anyone with information was asked to contact detectives from the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau.

COVINA >> Authorities have identified a Glendora man found fatally shot outside a mobile home in an unincorporated county area near Covina Friday.
Richard Alan Wurtz, 37, died at the scene of the shooting, which was reported shortly after 11 a.m. at the Royal Palms Mobile Homes Park, 21210 E. Arrow Highway, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Lt. David Smith said.
Two men were detained for questioning at the scene as deputies responded to reports of gunfire, however neither had been arrested Saturday morning, officials at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Headquarters Bureau said Saturday in a written statement.
“Deputies detained two adults from the location in order to investigate their connection, if any, to the shooting,” according to the sheriff’s department statement. “No arrests have been made at this time and the motive for the shooting remains under investigation.”
The names of the two men detained by deputies were not released.
Deputies investigating reports of gunshots encountered a man lying wounded outside a mobile home, and a second man leaving, sheriff’s Sgt. Nicole Davis said.
The wounded man was pronounced dead at the scene, and the other man was detained for questioning, officials said. A second man found nearby was also detained by investigators in the wake of the fatal shooting.
Neighbors said one of the men taken into custody by deputies at the shooting scene was a 32-year-old resident of the mobile home. They did not know the identity of the second person detained by deputies.
A family member of Wurtz reached by telephone Saturday did not wish to comment.
The ongoing investigating was being handled by detectives from the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau.

INDUSTRY >> A big rig hauling milk overturned on Azusa Avenue near the Puente Hills Mall early Saturday, snarling traffic and spilling some of its cargo onto the roadway, authorities said.
The crash took place about 7:15 a.m. on northbound Azusa Avenue at the 60 Freeway, blocking northbound lanes of Azusa Avenue, California Highway Patrol Officer Monica Posada said.
The driver, a Riverside man in his 40s, was taken to a hospital with apparently minor injuries, she said.
He had just exited the eastbound 60 Freeway and was making a left turn onto Azusa Avenue from the offramp when the truck tipped over, the officer said.
The tanker was compromised and began leaking a “significant amount” of milk, Posada said. Officials treated the milk as a hazardous material and tried to keep it out of storm drains, as it can be toxic to marine life.
Officials remained a the scene more than four hours later working to right and remove the overturned tanker.
The truck was placed back on its wheels Saturday afternoon, and two of four northbound lanes of Azusa Avenue were reopened about 5 p.m., according to CHP logs.
The Azusa Avenue offramp from the eastbound 60 Freeway was also shut down Saturday morning and afternoon due to the crash.

PASADENA >> Firefighters who rescued a black kitten from a storm drain pipe Friday afternoon named him “Lucky.”
The incident kicked off about 3:45 p.m. when a caller reported hearing the feline in a pipe connecting a storm drain and a drainage ditch along the 2900 block of Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena Fire Department spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said.
Officials were lowering a firefighter down to the pipe, which was about 3 feet wide, to look for the imperiled animal.
After spotting the black kitten, firefighters performed a “confined space rescue,” Derderian said.
“We sent a firefighter inside about a 36-inch pipe with a breathing apparatus,” she said.
The firefighter pulled the kitten, estimated to be about 4 months old, from the pipe.
“It was purring very strongly, so it appeared to be healthy,” Derderian said. Firefighters christened the kitten Lucky.
No one came forward to claim the cat, which was turned over to the Pasadena Humane Society.
PHS officials could not be reached late Friday for comment regarding Lucky.
But the rescue came only hours after the PHS reminded residents via its website that June is “Adopt a Shelter Cat Month.”
“During June only, the adoption fee for all adult cats (one year old and older) is cut in half — $35! In addition, all cats adopted in June will receive a free nail trim!” according to the PHS statement.
In addition, PHS runs other programs year-round to help adopt out cats to good homes.
All cats with black markings are available for an adoption fee of $13 on the 13th of every month, PHS officials said. Two adult cats may be adopted for a fee of $50. Any cat that has been at the shelter for more than a month is available for $35. Adoption fees are waived for senior adopting cats more than 5 years old, though a $20 mandatory microchipping fee still applies.
Adoption fees includes the spay or neuter surgery, officials added.

COVINA >> A man was killed and two men were detained Friday following a shooting at a mobile home park.
Sheriff’s detectives haven’t released the name of the dead man or the two people in custody.
The shooting took place shortly after 11 a.m. at Royal Palms, 21210 E. Arrow Highway, which is in the unincorporated county area near Covina.
Deputies responded to a call of shots fired at the mobile home park, said Sgt. Nicole Davis of the sheriff’s San Dimas station. She said six to eight shots were heard.
“As the units were on the way, someone was running from the location and there was a deceased person outside the mobile home,” Davis said.
Deputies took a resident of the mobile home park as well as a second man into custody, according to sheriff’s officials and other residents.
Paramedics pronounced the shooting victim dead at the scene. Davis believes the dead man didn’t live at the mobile home park.
Sheriff’s homicide detectives were at the mobile home park by Friday afternoon. No further details about the shooting were released.Full story by Ruby Gonzales…

SANTA FE SPRINGS >> A massive and stubborn fire erupted at a Santa Fe Springs recycling center Thursday afternoon and burned through the night, authorities said.
The fire was first reported about 6:20 p.m. at a recycling center in the 14000 block of Marquardt Avenue, Los Angeles County Fire Department Dispatch Supervisor Cheryl Sims said.
“We received a report of a large outdoor yard fire, with a structure involved,” Sims said.
The business recycles paper and cardboard goods, said Downey Fire Department Capt. Eric Danieri.Firefighters from throughout the area rushed to assist as the intense five-alarm fire tore its way through the facility, fueled by bales of cardboard, according to Battalion Chief Bruce English of the Downey Fire Department, which handles radio communications for the Santa Fe Springs Fire Department and other nearby agencies.
The fire stubborn fire continued burning beyond midnight and into Friday morning, officials said.
“We increased out personnel due to fire activity and poor access to the cardboard box bales,” English said.
The cardboard bales burned with increasing intensity as they broke apart, presenting more surface area to catch fire.
“It’s very manpower intensive,” English said of the firefighters’ efforts.
Shortly after midnight, firefighters were using a skip loader to remove burning debris, officials said. A tanker truck was summoned to the scene to refuel the fire engines.
More than 100 firefighters from the Santa Fe Springs, Los Angeles County, Downey, Montebello, La Habra Heights, Vernon and Compton fire departments worked to drown the flames.No injuries were initially reported to civilians or firefighters, English said.
Southern California Edison officials were summoned to the scene to assist with downed power lines, and firefighters requested the trains on a nearby set of tracks at Rosecrans Avenue and Marquardt Street be shut down as the fire continued to burn. Traffic was shut down on both Rosecrans Avenue and Marquardt Street.
Metrolink officials reported Line 608 to Oceanside was stopped at the Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs Station, and 91 Line 707 was stopped at the Fullerton Station, Buses were used to bring passengers to their ultimate destinations.

ARCADIA >> Deputies arrested a man and woman from Temple City Thursday after they scuffled with a repossession agent and the woman sprayed him with pepper spray, officials said.
Fiawna Jones, 27, was arrested on suspicion of illegal use of pepper spray, a felony, shortly after the 1:15 p.m. incident at a commercial parking lot at Colorado Boulevard and Santa Anita Avenue, Arcadia police Lt. Roy Nakamura said.
Also arrested, cited and released with a court date was her boyfriend, 47-year-old Raul Chavez, who was accused of battery for allegedly shoving the repossession agent, the lieutenant said.
The agent arrived to repossess an Acura when Chavez became involved in an argument with him, which escalated to pushing, Nakamura said.
Jones then pulled out a canister of pepper spray and squirted it into the repossession agent’s face before fleeing the scene in a different car, he said. The agent received first-aid at the scene, but was not taken to a hospital, and continued repossessing the car.
Police found Jones driving nearby and arrested her, Nakamura said. She was being held in lieu of $20,000 bail pending her initial court appearance.

San Gabriel Valley police officers will take on their fire department counterparts on the basketball court in Arcadia this weekend as the annual Battle of the Badges tournament returns bigger than ever to raise money for the Special Olympics.
The series of games will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday in the gymnasium of Arcadia High School, 180 Campus Drive in Arcadia, organizers said in a written statement. The cost of admission will be a “donation of your choosing,” and proceeds will benefit the Special Olympics Southern California.
In addition to the action on the court, there will be jumpers for children, refreshments, a SWAT demonstration, historical vehicles, a fire truck and gaming booths set up by Dave & Buster’s, Arcadia police Detective Walter Ashby said. An iPad Air will also be raffled off.
“One-hundred percent of the proceeds are donated directly to the Special Olympics,” he said.
San Gabriel police officers will take on San Gabriel firefighters at 10 a.m.; Alhambra police will play Alhambra firefighters at noon; El Monte police will take on Upland firefighters at 2 p.m.; Pasadena police will play Pasadena firefighters at 4 p.m.; and Arcadia police officers and firefighters will face off on the court at 6 p.m.
For more information, contact Detective Ashby at 626-821-2654, or email washby@ci.arcadia.ca.us.

NORWALK — Two boys and a man suffered minor injuries Wednesday when an attacker opened fire on them with a shotgun at Norwalk Park, authorities said.
The shooting took place about 7:30 p.m. at the park, 13000 Clarkdale Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Jason Skeen said.
Three male victims, described as two juveniles and an adult, suffered “very minor” injuries from the shotgun blast, Skeen said. It was unclear what type of shot the shotgun they were attacked with had been loaded with.
The shooter was believed to have fled the scene in a dark-colored car, Skeen said. It was not known how many attackers took part in the shooting, and the motive was not immediately clear.
A detailed suspect description was not available.

UPDATE — The stabbing victim, identified by coroner’s officials as 16-year-old Micah Maurice Hatten of Norwalk, died from his injuries at St. Francis Medical Center about 10 hours after being stabbed.

A teen was fighting for his life at a hospital Wednesday after he was critically wounded in a stabbing near Norwalk High School, authorities said.
The stabbing took place about 3:30 p.m. at Leffingwell Road and Gard Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Jason Skeen said. Despite the close proximity of the stabbing scene to Norwalk High School, the young victim was not initially believed to be a student of the campus.
A vehicle approached and a suspect or suspect exited before confronting and attacking the victim, Skeen said.
No suspects were in custody as the investigation continued.
Investigators withheld further details of the incident Wednesday evening as they continued gathering clues.
The badly wounded victim lost vital signs and was revived several times as he underwent surgery at an area hospital, Skeen said.

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